Gold-extraction machine.



Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Summum;

C. SUITER.

GOLD EXTRACTION MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILI-:D IIILY 21, I9I4.

@w1/hummm COLUIHEX PLNDGRAPH con WASHINCTN, D. C.

cuantas snrrnn, or BILLrivos, MONTANA.

eoLnnXTnecrron Maenrivn.

ritenere.

Specicaton of Letters Iatent.

Patented Dec. 2l, thin.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,276.

To all whom ,i2/may concern.: l

Be it known that l, @nantais Solana, a citizen of the United States, residing at Billings, inthe county` of Yellowstone and` State of Montana, have invented certainV new and "useful improvements in Gold-Extraction Machines, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to the subject of extracting gold from ore-workings carrying soft earth and sand, and has special reference to a novel construction of extraction pan that is of special utility in connection with placer mining systems.V ln systems of this character, it is desirable that as mulch as possible of the fine gold, such as float gold, rust gold, and other like forms of this metal be recovered from the sand and metal-bearing earth and clav in a quick, economical,

f and efficient manner to maintain a. maximum together with a small amount of accom-v panyingwater, over the surface of a body of Quicksilver, so that the gold is retained by the ouicltsilver and the waste material forced to awaste-receiving trough.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a noo-vel, simple, and substantial construction that is thoroughly practical in its operation, and which can be readily taken apa-rt for cleaning, repairing or transportation and yaside from its novel structural features has many other desirable advantages which will more fully appear Vas the nature of the invention isfbetter understood.

lll ith the above and other vobjects in view, the invention consists in the novel construe-l tion, combinatiom'and arrangement of parts .hereinafter faire tally described; ,illustere and claimed.

4'lfhough Aouuite susceptible structural mdifstome Preferred and .practical ,e'fi beslissen@ .Off di ,is @ltiriie Shu @Confirming revises; in. ivlisll is. l-

s ...10ml

the machine, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec tion taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

o Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts. throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As previously indicated, the present invention is especially adapted for use as one of the units of a placer mining system and is in communication with a main feed or supply sluice T, as indicated.

The extraction pan or container proper, designated by the reference numeral l, is of a dished construction and provided with a suitable lining or facing 2, and is also provided at its outer edge with an upstanding rim or retaining wall 3 which has secured thereto an outside waste receiving trough 4:. .Arranged in the central portion of the extraction pan is an upstanding conical di tributing member 5 which spreads and diffuses the material fed into the pan so that there is no danger of the feeding apparatus becoming clogged at this point, and at the same time this construction aids in forcing the material toward the outer edges of the pan.

The pan l is adapted to hold a body of quicltsilver designated as 6 which is adapted to support a floating cover member l having the inclined bottom walls 8, which are preferably outwardly divergent to the bottom wall of the extraction pan, thereby providing a slightly outwardly iaring amalgamat ing `space between the pan and its cover. rlhe cover member is supported directly on the quicltsilver body, and is also provided with substantially centrally arranged inclined upwardly converging walls 9 which are spaced from the sides of the distributing member 5 under normal conditions. The said cover member is further provided with a neck portion l() which terminates in an annular flange ll that is adapted to be bolted to a clamping flange 12 of a coupling pipe section 13, which latter is provided at its upper end with a stuiiing boX 13 and telescopically Jreceives a feed pipe section 14 communicating with the sluice T which carries the metal-bearing `sand and earths suspended in washings from the washing Adisintegrating lunit of the plant. At this point, it may be noted that the floor of the.

sluice 'ellis provided with an upstanding baf` fie @l eine' resti. nl ulisse ,teenies is to .meinbcr'l at oneA side of the mouth of check the passage of the earth and sand to a sutlicient extentto direct them into the feedl pipe section, whence they fall into the feed chamber C formed by the coupling pipe section and neck of the floating cover member.

The top of the .sluice T has a transversely arranged brace member 16 which carries a shaft bearing 17 in whichk is journaled a feed screw operating shaft 18. This shaft carries at its lower end a main helicalfeed screw 19 and also a feed regulating cone 20 which is provided with a spiral fin 21. The extreme lower end of the shaft 18 projects through the hollow feed regulating cone 2O as indicated at '22 where it is journaled in a suitable bearing Q3 in the distributing member 5. lith further reference to the hollow feed regulating cone, it will be observed that the same loosely nests on the apex of the distributing member 5.

The upper end of the shaft 18 carries a. belt pulley 24, and at one side of this pulley is provided with an adjustment collar 25 which normally bears upon the top of the shaft bearing 17. The extreme upper end of the said shaft 18 isformed with an eye 26 for the purpose of receiving a suitable element for raising and lowering the shaft 18 to regulate the Quantity of material passing onto the Quicksilver body.` That is, by lifting the feed regulating cone 20 from its normal position on the distributing cone 5, the outlet of the chamber C is made smaller so that a limited Quantity of material only is forced onto the Quicksilver. lin other words, when the parts are in the position shown in the drawings, theV maximum amount of gold bearing material is being forced onto the Quicksilver. However, should it be found desirable to feed a smaller Quantity over the Quicksilver, it is only necessary to lift the shaft 18 by means of the eye QG and adjust the collar to such a position that the shaft will be held in its desired elevated position. l't will be obvious that the raising of the shaft 18 which carries with it at its lower end the feed regulating cene, will cause the latter to come up into the neck of the floating cover member so that the space between the outer edge of the cone and the neck will be reduced to the extent desired and conse quently withhold and prevent the feeding of more than the desired amount of gold bearing material.

`W ith further referencerto the general operation of the device, it will be observed that the washings carrying the metal-bearing substances pass down the sluice T and encounter the batlie 15 so that a certain amount of the material falls into the feed pipe section 14 from whence it is conducted into the feed chamber C. At this'l point, the main feed screw 19 forces they material down onto the feed regulating cone 20 whose spiral fin 21 is also pitched to force the material downwardly into the space between the wall of the distributing cone and the inclined walls 9 of the floating cover member. It will be observed that the main feed screw 19, and feed regulator 20, not only perform a feeding function, but also have a tendency to disintegrate and break up any lumps that may have escaped the proper stage of disintegration.

Through the action of the feeding means described, the washings entering the feed pipe are continuously forced outward over the surface of the Quicksilver, and beneath the cover member in a continually thinning stratum, and it is intended that the weight of the water and solid substances suspended therein within the feed pipe shall be adjusted to such a height (through the medium of the pan adjusting devices hereinafter referred to), that the pressure of the `column of washings in the feed pipe will cause such washings to squeeze out in a thin film between the under side of the cover member and the top of the body of Quicksilver. thus causing the metal carried by the washings to be extracted through the amalgamating action incident to being forced into contact with the Quicksilver. In other words. a continuous film of metal-bearing material is forced toward the rim 3 of the pan, and when it comes to a point where the cover member 7 terminates, the water, sand, and earthy material collect between the rim of the cover member and the rim of the extraction pan. As the operation continues` the waste material collecting at this point overflows into the waste receiving trough 4 from whence it lnay be carried away b y suitable conveying means. For the purpose of draining the Quicksilver 6 from the pan` there is provided at one side of the distributing cone 5 a drain pipe 2T having at its lower end a suitable turn plug 28.

One of the many practical advantages of the present invention is the peculiar construction which makes it possible to take apart the entire device, either for the purpose of cleaning, transportation. or repair. The telescopic connection of the pipe section 13 with the delivery pipe 14 makes it possible for the entire cover member to be raised by means of suitable chains or links having their lower ends hooked in openings 29 in the side wall of the cover member, thus making the bottom of the pan easily accessible.

It will also be observed that the entire pan 1 is supported on jack screws 30 so that the pan may be adjusted to a perfect level. or tilted should the occasion arise. This method of supporting the pan makes it possible for the same to be Quickly and easily removed. Furthermore, this vertical adjustment for the pan proper becomes imideama portant in combination with the telescopic joint-connection between the feed pipe and the pipe section of the cover member, inasmuch as means arethus provided for changing the length of the feeding pipe and, consequently, varying the length or height of the column of washings therein, with the result 0f adjusting the weight column of washings to suit the pressure required to maintain a proper film of the washings between the body of quicksilver and the underside of the cover member. Y

From the foregoing it is believed to be apparent that the many features and advantages of the invention are obvious, and it will also be understood, that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of c0nstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

l. An extracting machine comprising a container adapted to hold a body of amalgam, a iioating cover member having a central conical opening, a stationary distributing cone arranged at the center of the container and extending upwardly into the conical opening of the cover member, a rota table feed regulating cone operating over the stationary cone, and a feed pipe in communication with the central opening of the ioating cover member.

2. An extracting machine comprising a dished container adapted to hold a body of amalgam, a dished floating cover member having a central conical opening, a feed pipe in communication with the central opening of the cover member, a stationary distributing cone arranged at the center of the container and extending upwardly into the central opening of the cover member, a r0- tatable force feed regulating cone operating over the stationary cone, and a rotatable main feeding device operating above the regulating cone.

3. An extracting machine comprising a container adapted to hold a body of amalgam, a centrally arranged distributing cone in said container, a cover supported on said amalgam and having a central opening whose side walls are in spaced relation to the conical distributing member, a supply sluice, a feed pipe section communicating with the supply sluice, a coupling pipe section connecting the floating cover member and feed pipe section and forming a chamber, an operating shaft having one end journaled in the supply sluice and its other end journaled in the distributing cone, force feed means carried by said shaft and means for adjusting said shaft to cause said force feed means to regulate the quantity of metal bearing earth forced onto the amalgam body.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SUITER.

Witnesses CHAS. A. TAYLOR, M. A. MCNAUGHTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

